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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E694-E695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF SILVESTRE DURAN
______
HON. MARCY KAPTUR
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of
Silvestre Duran, an outstanding member of our Toledo community.
Silvestre worked at the Jeep plant before settling into a long career
at the Catholic Diocese of Toledo as its Hispanic Outreach Coordinator.
He was one of Ohio's pioneers of Tejano music, hosting his own Saturday
radio program, Radio Fiesta, from 1955 to 2008. He saw it as an
opportunity to bring joy into the lives of many migrant families who
were working the fields and those, like his family, that had settled in
the area.
During these busy years, Silvestre also owned and operated a Mexican
restaurant in South Toledo called Don Ysidro's. Many churchgoers and
late-night revelers would go to Don Ysidro's for all the Mexican
favorites. He engaged his entire family in working at the restaurant.
Silvestre was an advocate for the Latino community in the Toledo area
during its formative years. He served on countless committees, boards
and organizations advocating on behalf of Latino community. He received
numerous awards and accolades for his hard work. He taught GED classes
early on and worked to get people from the community hired into good
paying jobs at the Jeep plant.
He was a founder and served as board President for La Raza Unida de
Ohio, and founder and commissioner for the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/
Latino Affairs. Silvestre was a lifetime member of the Farm Labor
Organizing Committee (FLOC) of the AFL-CIO, attending rallies and
demonstrations in support of Baldemar Velasquez. Last year, prior to
his 90th birthday, he traveled with FLOC to North Carolina to protest
the treatment of migrant farmworkers in the tobacco fields.
Silvestre dedicated his last decades of life to music and singing. He
could be seen at many Latino social events singing and playing his
guitar with the trio Los Distinguidos alongside Francisco Ibarra and
Jesse Ponce. His musical influence was passed on to his grandchildren
Steve Longoria; Silvestre Roberto and Jose Duran; and Ricky May who all
sing and play the guitar and piano.
Silvestre also enjoyed traveling with his family, whether it was
visiting Texas or traveling to Spain and Mexico. You could find him at
SS Peter & Paul Church attending Sunday Mass every week. He was a man
of integrity, inspiration, and kindness.
Whether serving his community, entertaining a crowd, or bringing joy
to countless people,
[[Page E695]]
Silvestre will not be forgotten. We offer his family and friends our
prayers and hope that they find comfort in the wonderful memories of
what Silvestre Duran had meant to each of the people who shared in his
life.
``We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress
and prosperity for our community . . . Our ambitions must be broad
enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes
and for our own.''--Cesar Chavez
____________________